The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-11-30
II.

THE PAPER AND BECOMES IN
TEREsTED IN 1T.
When the old man had left the
house, Julia took up the paper,
prompted more by curiosity than
otherwise, and soon became deeply in
terested in its varied contents-so
much so that in the course Of a week
she bad read and re.read over and
over again everything in it. The mar
riages, the deaths the advertise
ments-were all carefully spelled and
read over and over until every word
was indellibly impressed upon her
mind.
Oh, how she did enjoy it. She
would be up by times every morning
and hurry cheerfully through her days
task at the spinning wheel, in order that
she might have few moments to peep
into the Mo,u,tai,,eer before it was
dark, for she knew that as soon as the
supper was over with, and the dishes
washed, there was that bundle of sew
ing with which she must help her
mother, and therefore, there could be
no time for reading after supper, how
ever much she might desire to do.
But if she could not both read and
sew at the same time, she could at
least do the next best thing-talk
about what she had read. So when
the children had been tucked away in
their trundle beds and her father had
made himself comfortable, reclining
on two chairs, rs was his custom, in
front of a cracking log fire, she would
relate to her mother all that she had
read that day in the newspaper, while
each piled industriously her needle.
She was so charmed with the con.
tents of this paper that she made up
her mind to try to get her father to
take it, although she had very
grave doubts as to the success of the
undertaking. Therefore it was with
great hesitancy she approached him
one day, just after he had eaten his
dinner-(she was wise enough to know
that it was not prudent to ask favor
of hungry man though that man be
a father)-with the request that he
subscribe for the Moantaineer.
Had she wished new dress, a new
bonnet or anything like that, there
would have been no hesitancy.
"But," unused she, "who ever heard
of woman taking newspaper? Why
Parson Graves and DR.. Hunter are
the only persons who take papers at
this office; and I reckon their women
folks don't read them for I never hear
them tell anything they have read in
the papers"
But to her great surprise her fathers
consent was easily obtained. Not
however because he considered that
his daughter or any of his family
would be benefited by reason thereof,
either mentally or morally, but simply
because it was the request of dutiful,
loving daughter whose wish he, an in
dulgent father, knew not how to deny.
HAPPY MARRIAGE-THE ONLY NEWS
PAPER PEOPLE IN THE NEIGH
BORHooD.
In the autumn of the same year
Miss Julia became the happy Mrs.
John Wells. In addition to her COL
ored maid, her loom, and her wheel
and cards-the usual marriage portion
in those days-she took to her new
home her Bible the GreenviNe
Mou'stainoer, which, together with
Johns Bible, made up the library Of
that happy home on the hill. 1t was
not long until John (who was by the
way man Of fine natural ability
though Of limited education,) became
as fond Of reading as was his wife !;
still, work on the farm was never neg
lected and household duties were faith
fully performed.
Thrift and prosperity was indicated
by all their surrounding. Svstem was